Where is the Sicilian Housewife?

Sorry about my very long silence. It has provoked rumours of pregnancy (I am too old, mentally not biologically), lottery winning (I wish!) and falling down a large pot hole in one of Sicily’s main motorways (I just invented that one actually).

None of this is true, but… Drumroll…. I am at last allowed to announce that I have a job in the UK, and I have left Sicily’s sunny shores. You thought I only knew how to burn the pasta and make fun of Sicilian driving, didn’t you?

The Sicilian Housewife enjoying her first taste of England after a long time awayI introduced Hubby to rhubarb. He was not impressed.My sister showed Hubby what “tea time” means in England

Since being offered this job I have been madly busy. I had three weeks in December to find and rent a house in England, enrol my son in a school, furnish the house, set up the wifi and other utility bills, buy two cars and two mobile phones for myself and my Intrepid Hubby, ship over some crates of clothes, lego and my trusty vintage computer from Sicily, and figure out how to use a central heating thermostat dating from 1972.

So how are we getting on in England?

Well, we are living in a small village which is a picturesque cluster of abnormally small semi-detached houses and charity shops huddled around the iconic Asda supermarket building. The vibrant village centre boasts not only a public library with wheelchair access but also a structurally sound primary school and a moderately sized veterinarian centre which caters both for pets and local sheep alike. What’s more, it is mere minutes from the centre of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, where it only rains twice a year on average (once from February to August and the second time from September to January).

My little lad is really happy in English school, and not just because the building isn’t falling down! English culture with its emphasis on not shouting your head off really suits him too.

Hubby has made friends with the local farmers and buys amazingly good meat from them, and seems to be enjoying being a house husband. He went through a period of adjustment. For example, I told him that when you hang up the laundry in Stoke-on-Trent it will still be wet after five days or else have gone mouldy, and he thought I was just joking. He also thought he would be able to buy warm clothes in Sicily and still use them as his “warm clothes” once we got to England. He also thought he would stay indoors till it stopped raining, bless him.

Then one day he suddenly became more English than me and told me off for parking sqiffily and trying to sneak through a light that was just turning red.

60 thoughts on “Where is the Sicilian Housewife?”

So refreshing to read you again, my dear! I used to live in Middle Barton near Banbury. How about that? I know of what you speak. So glad about Luca – he does seem more the proper sort – and Marco will definitely adjust. Can’t wait to hear about the first MIL visit.

Welcome, welcome, welcome back, my dear! I was afraid you had ditched the Hubby, taken up with a Mafia Don, moved to Palermo, and given up the blog. By the way, my wife and I have been to Stoke-on-Trent twice. It rained both days. Deliriously happy to have you and your word processor back in my life!

Welcome back! And congratulations on the new job and the move! So is the blog title going to change from the Dangerously Truthful Diary of a Sicilian Housewife to the Dangerously Truthful Diary of an English CEO? 😉

Well, I did wonder about making Hubby carry the baton from now on, and calling it The Dangerously truthful Diary of a Sicilian House Husband.
If he did that, you would get the terrible Inglishe mistaiks, ya know, but on the other hand you would at last get some really good recipes!

“She longs for the greenness of her native land. She pines for the picturesque cluster of abnormally small semi-detached cottages of Alsager, is it not? Already in imagination, she prepares rhubarb and engages in all the activities of the English lady.”

OK, I’ll stop. But, if someone should offer you a Brough Superior SS 100 1925 motorcycle, just say no if you know what’s good for you.

Good luck and I hope you get proper treatment.
it really is a major danger in so many places, and there are so many people with ruined lives who could have got better if only their doctor knew how to recognise and treat it in time.

Great! A dream has come true, as it seems. Congratulations! Now the blog can be called “The Dangerously Truthful Diary of a British Houseman” 🙂

I really admire how you organized all that in only a few weeks. That is a capacity. No wonder that such an organizing talent had some trouble on Sicily.

By the way, the blackmailing of the other mothers concerning the school in Sicily has ended now, too. Maybe, you will encounter other blackmailing, now. Maybe this time, you even will not notice it, since you are used to it, but your husband will!

Mannaggia your ears must have been burning! I finished reading your book a few days ago and was wondering if il Mastrostronzo had fitted you with cement shoes! In bocca al lupo for your new job! Is your move permanent or time limited? Can’t wait till your suocera visits! I’ll bet she brings an extra valigia. Instead of filling it with religious souvenirs, she’ll bring the ironing contraption! Looking forward to new posts-oh and I loved the book! Ciao, Cristina

A hearty welcome back, missed you terribly, your wit and humour, and also your musings about Sicily, my favourite place for holidays. Looks like I shall continue to miss Sicilian musings, more’s the pity, but I wish you well in your new life in Stoke. I shall just have to dip into your book to get that warm experience of life in Sicily and to help me remember my times there. I’m at the opposite end of the country, the Isle of Wight, so our weather experiences are very different. Settle down and enjoy life now and I hope your husband keeps enjoying it too. It can be traumatic after a little while for foreigners. I know (says she, darkly).

Enjoyed reading this post. Being married to a Sicilian who essentially grew up in Australia I will look forward to reading the back posts and any future posts on things Sicilian. Well done with the move,it’s huge and best of luck with the new job. Big change for you all.

Oh no, I just wrote a huge comment to another post, encouraging you to become the next sindaco and now a few minutes later I read this post. Good for you though.
Congratulations! All fine for me as long as you keep on writing. All the best for your new job.

Please keep writing about your adjustment back to England. I have been in Italy for several years now and am considering the move back with Italian in tow so I would be very interested to hear how you and your husband go about it! Best wishes and good luck with the new job.

Just stumbled upon your posting about Sicily and had to laugh, repeatedly. My belly is still reverberating. I love the parts I’ve read explaining your love of the people and country. I have to say I especially liked the post regarding looking for lodging in England and translating the realtor advertisements to your husband. “Bless him” indeed.

Hi, I used to have regular emails when you put a new post up but I’ve had nothing in months. Just thought I’d check in to see if you are still around. Missed your musings. Should I re-follow you or am I just somehow being missed out.

I hadn’t been here in a while, I came because I missed your words. Congratulations on your new job, it’s good that (due to unfortunate reasons) it’s a job that means a lot to you, you will do it well. And indeed some Sicilian housewife sense is bonus in this role 😉 xxx